There is a lot of talk in our day about strength, power, might. You often here athletes quote Philippians 4:13 as the innate ability to crush their performance. However, that is not the power that God speaks of especially in that verse nor in any other place in the bible. The power that God speaks of is not with physical might, but with the ability to live your life with the free from the encumbrance of sin. After a lengthy coverage of those misusing and misapplying God’s word, Paul reminds the Christians that their is more to the gospel than just words. 1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. Paul’s making the point that those who say he’s not coming to visit them will be shown to be wrong, when he shows up. The argument he’s making is God’s word isn’t just there for us to see and read or here, but the power to be able to deliver on his promises, including the ability to live in light of the gospel and be freed from sins trapping. You see it’s not just about us saying we are Christians, but it’s about us living as one. Christ came with power for our lives to be transformed by the power of the gospel.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised hi from the dead, you will be saved.Pretty straight forward verse about salvation, while we want to keep in context God’s sovereignty established in Chapter 9. The reality is this is the message we take to all people, that they must confess and believe. On the service it seems easy enough, but the issue remains will the heart submit to God’s mode of salvation. Will you quit looking to your own self-righteousness, will you quit trying to do it on your own. This is a matter of faith, can you trust God to save you. At the heart level salvation is to stop trusting in yourself and trusting in God.

The author of Hebrews continues to encourage the believers to persevere. The grounds for this perseverance is the person and work of Jesus Christ. After Jesus finished his High Priestly duties he did something none of the other High Priest had ever done. He sat down.

In Hebrews 12 the author indicates the best way to combat sin or even distractions from the christian life is to look unto Jesus. If we understand what he’s saying rightly, we will see our primary goal of following Christ is not to set out to reform our character or nature by changing the things we do or don’t do, but primarily by gazing at Jesus.

Now don’t get me wrong the nature of a disciple will change, but it will be done internally because of what Jesus has done. He who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. It’s looking upon him in this radical act of love going to the cross bearing our sins making an acceptable sacrifice to the Father that will change you. Oh that we will see him this morning, that we will gaze upon him, think upon him, and love him is the strongest motivation for a changed life

Reading comes from Hebrews 11 this morning. The great chapter on faith. After listing numerous Old Testament saints and their faithfulness to the Lord, the writer shows that they were living for a better country. Had they been living for this life they surely would have turned back. But because their eyes were on something bigger something better they continued on even though you might would say practicality would say go back. That’s just it though isn’t it. Faith doesn’t

look like the thing everyone else does, faith doesn’t take us down the easiest of paths, but the best of paths. We might mistakenly think that right faith in the right thing gives us the right or desired results, but if you keep reading you see that wasn’t always the case. Verse 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated–38 of whom the world is not worthy–wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. That doesn’t sound very promising, if living for only this life, then those with faith are fools, but those with faith understand that God has provided something better for us. Thank God this world isn’t all, Thank God He made a way for us to be forgiven, Thank God we can know him because of His son Jesus Christ. Knowing him means more than all there is ever offered in this world. Knowing him surpasses all the hopes and dreams that this world can never provide. Have Faith!